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w. J. SMITH & L. LAGALI.

ENGINE. APPLICATION FILED JUNEZZ, I914- 1 95,?%4. v Patented Aug. 22, 1916.

SHEETSSHEET lamzf 'w. J, SMITH & L. LAGALI.

ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED J UNE 22,1914.

Patented Aug. 22, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

(gm 0e mtow WILLIAM ii". SMITH, H LAKE, IOWA, ANE LEO LAGAIJI, OF UNION, OKLAHOMA.

. ENGINE.

Specification 01 Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. $22, 1916.

dian and States of Iowa and Oklahoma,

have invented certain new and useful Iming is a specification.

Our invention relates to improvements in rotary internal combustion engines, and 1s provements in Engines, of which the follow- "designed for the purpose of providing an engine of this type possessing certain novel combinations and arrangements of parts whereby a rotatable piston may be caused to travel in its cylinder and through its motion rotate or revolve a driving shaft.

The invention consists in certain novel combinations and arrangements with the revolving piston of a reversible, oscillatable abutment therefor with which is associated the valve actuating mechanism, all as will be more fully set forth in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings one complete example of the physical embodiment of the invention is illustrated constructed according to the best mode so far devised for the practical application of the principles of the invention, but it will of course be understood that colorable alterations may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the drawings Figure 1 is an edge view of an engine embodying the invention. Fig.

2 is a side view of the engine of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a vertical, central longitudinal view through the engine. Fig. i is a top plan view of the engine. Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view showing the charge inlet with throttle therein. Fig. (Sis an enlarged view of the carrier and valve shifting lever and link.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention as shown in the drawings, the base or foundation. 1 supports the casing 2 in which the annular, circular groove or channel 3 is bored to form the cylinder for the rotary piston 4.

The casing provided with side plates 5 and (3 formed with open centers to conform to the open center of the casing. lVithin the engine shaft 7 1s centhese open cen' trally located, i a; gournaled in bearings 8 and the shaft extends through the casing and its side plates and has the usual balance Wheel and power transmitting devices, not shown. a

The shaft has secured thereon a hollow hub in the form of a metallic ring 9 the spokes 10 of which are fashioned as fan blades to create air currents by means of which the engine and its accessories are cooled. The piston 4 is secured to the hub by means of a bolt as 11, and an annular slot 12 is provided in the casing for the accommodation of this belt as it moves with the piston, the slot being closed by the face of the hub as shown.

The cylinder or channel 3 of the casing is interrupted. at a convenient location by an enlarged space forming a chamber 13 which is preferably open to the outer and inner peripheries of the casing, the inner opening being closed by the convex face of the hub of the shaft, and the .outer opening being closed by a metallic plate 14 having an inner concave face and which is countersunk and flush with the periphery of the casing to which it is securely bolted. This chamber is provided with two curved or circular end walls 15 and 16 which are open to the cylinder, and the chamber is much Wider than the cylinder bore 3 and long enough to provide for a rotary reciprocatory movement of a reversible abutment 17. This abutment which is horizontally rotatable and reversi ble on its axis is located on a line radiating from the center of the shaft, and the abut ment is movable back and forth within a small are a bout the center of the shaft. The abutment 1'? is bored out to provide a recess 18 open at one side but closed at its opposite side by a wall 19, and the abutment is retained between the plate 14 and hub of the shaft, having its inner end concaved and outer end convex to conform to the surface of these parts. The abutment is rotated through an arc of 180 degrees, turning on its axis from side to side, by means of a roller :20 which is journaled on the outer face or end of the abutment and co-acts with a cam slot 21 in the plate 14, to swing the abutment on its axis.

The abutment is bodily moved back and forth in the chamber 13 by means of a pair of carrier plates 2.2 and located within the chamber 13 and adapted to move along the sit thereof and arranged at diametrically opposite points of the abutment.

These carrier plates are concave and adapted to fit around the cylindrical abutment so that they may bodily move the abutment, but at the same time permit the block to turn while in their embrace. The abutment is moved or shifted from the main shaft by means of an eccentric disk 24 on the shaft and its rod 25 which rod is attached or pivoted to the crank arm 26 of the pivoted lever 27 which is adapted to swing on its fulcrum 28. The lever 27 is connected to a link 29 and the link is pivoted to a bolt or pin 30 which extends through a slot 31 in the side plates of the casing and is fixed to one of the carrier plates. This described connection from the shaft to the carrier plate is duplicated each side of theengine so that direct motion is imparted to each carrier plate. The abutment hasv fixed thereto the spark plug 32 which has its sparking end extended through the abutment and into the recess 18, while a slot 33 is provided in the center of the plate 14 to permit the plug to be moved with .the abutment.

The inlet for the fuel charge to the engine is indicated by-an opening at 34, through the side plate of the engine casing, and this inlet is controlled by means. of a slide valve 35 in the form of a circular plate having an opening or port 36 which is adapted to register at the proper time with the inlet 34: and admit a charge to the cylinder. admission of the charge takes place when the abutment is against the curved wall 16 at the right end of the chamber 13 and just immediately after the piston has passed the inlet port. Thus assuming the abutment to be at the right end of the chamber 13 in Fig. 3, its end wall 19 being on the rear side of the abutment and closing the chamber near its center, while the open side of the abutment and the spark plug will be presented toward the piston 4, the engine is cranked causing the piston to rotate about its center sh aft clockwise, and as the port 36 in the valve is now registered with the inlet 34; the suction. created by the piston draws in a charge of fuel as gas and air, which is ignited from. the spark plug and the piston is forced around through its cylinder forcing out any spent gas ahead of it. By the time the piston reaches the entrance to the chamber at the left, the abutment is in posi tion with its open recess to receive it, the car-r 11' having been reversed and brought to the right by the eccentric connections described. The piston now enters th abutment and is carried through the chamber 3 during which passage the abutment is rercrsed and the piston is allowed to make exit into the cylinder again. itthen comlmstion is taking place the slide val e course closes the inlet and the expanding gas acts only on the abutment and piston. The abutment is held immov- The meager able at the time of the explosion by means of the lever 27 and link 29, the three pivot points of these parts being in line.

The movement of the abutment through the medium of the carrier plates, the move ment of the slide valve to admit a fuel charge, and the sparking of the spark plug are of course timed so that the explosion of a charge will be regulated with relation to the position of the piston in order to utilize to best-advantage the power of the explosion, and it will be understood of course that these features and functions may be altered as desired or required. The charge may be compressed by the piston before the explosion, and other provision for exhaust may be provided than the outlet 37 and this outlet may be controlled by a slide valve similar to slide valve 35.

Having thus fully described our invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by LettersPatent is 1. The combination in a rotary internal combustion engine, of an annular cylinder and a revoluble piston, said cylinder having an enlarged chamber and an abutment therein adapted to receive the piston, means for moving said abutment and for reciprocating the same and reversing it, and inlet and outlets to said cylinder.

2. The combination in a rotary engine, of an annular cylinder and abutment chamber, an abutment, a piston in the cylinder adapted to enter said abutment, said abutment adapted to close the cylinder, and means for reciprocating and reversing said abutment as described.

3. The combination in arotary engine, of an annular cylinder and abutment chamber, a shaft, :1. piston revoluble therewith, a recessed abutment in said abutment chamber to receive the piston and provided with an abutment wall, and means for reciprocating and for reversing said abutment to permit the exitof the piston.

4. The combination in a rotary engine, of an annularcylinder and enlarged abutment chamber, a shaft, a hub, a piston in the cylinder, a bolt securing said piston to the hub and passed through a slot, and a reversible reciprocable abutment within the chamber recessed to receive the piston and transfer it across said abutment chamber, and means for reciprocating and reversing said abutment.

5. The combination in a rotary engine, of a casing open at the center and formed with an annular cylinder, an enlarged abutment chamber and an annular slot opening to its center, a shaft a hub on the shaft closing said annular slot, a piston within the cylinder and a bolt securing the piston to the hub, a recessed reversible and reciprocable abutment formed with anabutment Wall in the chamber, and connections between said iaeavea v reciprocating said abutment, and means for its cylinder, piston and enlarged abutment reversing said abutment.

7. The comblnatlon m a rotary engine, of

chamber, arecessed, reversible and reciprocable abutment adapted to receive the piston and formed with an abutment wall, a pair of carrier plates, a shaft and means connecting said plates .With the shaft for shifting the carrier plates, and means for reversing the abutment.

8. The combination in a rotary engine, of its cylinder and enlarged abutment chamber, a shaft and piston, a recessed reversible and reciprocable abutment adapted to receive the piston, a pair of carrier plates operatively connected to the shaft, a cam groove in a portion of the engine and a roller carried by the abutment co-actin'g With said groove to reverse the abutment.

9. The combination in a rotary engine, of its cylinder casing, shaft, piston, and abutment chamber, an abutment loosely retained in said chamber and means for guiding it,

of-itscasing formed with an annular cylin- 'der and abutment chamber, an abutment in said chamber, a pair of carrier plates and meansfor shifting the same, a cam slot in 40 a pair of carrier plates, means for shifting thesame and means for reversing the abutment as described;

10. The combination in a rotary engine,

the casing and a roller carried by said abutment co-acting with the slot to reverse the abutment.

11. The combination in a rotary engine, of its casing formed with 'an annular cylinder and abutment chamber, a cylindrical recessed abutment in the chamber, a pair of carrier plates having concave faces loosely engaging said abutment. a shaft and means connecting said shaft With said plates to oscilliate them, a cam groove in the casing, and

a roller carriedby the carrier engaging said groove to reverse the abutment.

12. In a rotary engine, a casing having anannular channel interrupted by an enlarged space forming a chamber open to the inner and outer peripheries of the casing, a shaft the convex face of the hub of which closes the inner opening, a pair of carrier plates and means for shifting the same, a plate closing the outer opening, said chamber having circular end Walls open to the cylinder, said chamber being wider than the cylinder bore and a reversible carrier block 'mounted for movement therein.

13. In a rotary engine, a casing having an annular channel interrupted by an enlarged space forming a chamber open to the inner and outer peripheries of the casing, a shaft the convex face of the hub of Which closes the inner opening, a pair of carrier plates and means for shifting the same, a plate closing the outer opening, said chamber having circular end walls open to the cylinder, said chamber being Wider than the cylinder bore and a reversible carrier block mounted for rotary reciprocatory movement therein.

14. In a rotary engine, a casing having an annular channel interrupted by an enlarged space forming a chamber open to the inner and outer peripheries ofthe casing, a shaft J. W. MARTIN, R. MoGovnnN. 

